Evaporating apparatus.



INo. 630,04. Patented Aug. I, I899. D. T. BRAND.

EVAPUBATING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Mar. 23, 1899.)

(No Model.)

FIGJ.

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ATENT l)A\VSON T. BRAND, OF EASTMAN, GEORGIA.

EVAPORATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,174, dated August 1, 1899.

Application filed March 23, 1899. Serial No. 710,265- (No model.)

To all whom, it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, DAWSON T. BRAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eastman, in the county of Dodge and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful l mprovements in Evaporating Apparatus; and I (19 hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of evaporating apparatus in which evaporation of a continuous shallow stream of flowing juice and syrup is carried on.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in or through which a stream of juice introduced at one end of the pan will be given a substantially uniform heat throughout its course from the receiving to the discharge end of the pan, thereby insuring a constant and uniform rate of passage from one end to the other, avoiding cool spots or zones, which have the effect of rendering the stream sluggish at such spots and of allowing the son on or other impu rities to mix and become incorporated with the syrup, thereby injuring the color and flavor of the final product. In other words, the object of my invention is to produce an absolutely automatic skimmerorseparator of impurities from the juice as the same is evaporated to produce a syrup.

To this end my invention consists in the combination of a furnace or heating apparatus having a wide constantly diminishing passage for heat and products of combustion and a metallic evaporating-pan of a width corresponding with the width of the passage through the furnace-chamber, having a plurality of transverse partitions increased successively in height toward the finishing end, the partitions being cutaway on the bottom next to the sides of the pan in alternate or der, so that the stream in its forward movement is caused to flow in a zigzag path backward and forward across the pan through the passages or cutaway portions, and according to my invention the passages through the cut-away portions are made of constantly-increasing capacity, so as to afford free and regular constant forward movement of the stream.

The invention also consists in automatic means for regulating the flow of juice to the pan, and thereby maintaining a constant volume or stream that passes through the same.

The inventionalso consists in other details of construction and combinations hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section through the furnace or heating apparatus, showing the evaporating-pan in elevation. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the evaporatingpan. Fig. 4 is a section through the pan and the automatic device for regulating the flow or introduction of juice to the pan.

1 is a fire-box of any suitable character, the products of combustion from which pass through heating chamber or passage 2, which is contracted from its mouth to its discharge into the chimney-flue 3, the passage being of a uniform width.

4 is the pan, made entirely of metal. The pan is made of a width not greater than the width of the passage 2. As shown in the drawings, it rests upon the side walls of the heating-chamber 2 and receives heat over every part of its bottom surface. This pan is provided with a series of partitions 5 5 of constantly-increasing height from the receiving to the discharge end, and each of these partitions is cut away to provide a passage 6, the passages being arranged alternately on opposite sides of the pan and constantly increasing in capacity in proportion to the increase in the height of the partitions. The pan is also provided with a draw-off cook or faucet 7 at the discharge end. Over the first division between the end wall and the lowest partition 5 I arrange a screen or strainer 8, to which is attached or with which is connected a discharge-spout 9 for carrying off the scum and otherimpurities to a scum-tub. Leading to the first division through the screen 8 isa conduit or pipe 10 for feeding the juice to the pan, and within this pipe is arranged a valveseat 11. \Vithin the first division, to which raw juice is introduced, is a float 12, carrying aivalve or cut-oif 13, through the medium of which the flow of juice to the pan is regulated, so as to maintain a constant depth of juice in the first division, and consequentlya constant depth of stream through the pan.

In operation clear water to the depth of about one inch is introduced to the pan, a fire is then started, and when the Water begins to boil cane-juice is introduced through pipe 10 to one end of the first division. As the juice is admitted at the front end of the channel it carries or forces the water through the pan before it until the same passes off in vapor; In this way I prevent the crude juice from entering the maturing-divisions of the pan, and thereby keep them perfectly clean and free from impurities. The juice introduced through pipe 10 to one end of the first division flows across the pan and out through the passage at the other end to the second division and, having a relatively less volume of steam in cells or bubbles than the syrup, sustains a column in the second division slightly higher than that in the first, and so on throughout the difierent divisions. The cool juice in the first division is brought to a boil as it enters the second division, and most of the scum and impurities through ebullition are thrown to the surface and work 01f over the strainer S into spout 9 and off to scum-tub. Whatever impurities pass from second to third division will in like manner be discharged backward into said second division, and so on from a forward division backward to that'behind it. By regulating the pass-ages from one division to another to correspond with the increased volume and sluggishness of the syrup and by maintaininga uniform heat throughout the entire under surface of the pan a perfectly free and unobstructed and constant flow of liquid is maintained from the place of introduction to that-of discharge and all impuri ties are eliminated from the product without the use of skimmers or any disturbance or agitation of the liquid whatever. In other words, by reason of my construction of pan and its combination with the furnace the separation or elimination of impurities from juice in the process of making syrup is absolutely automatic, and the consequent product has a better color and is purer than is possible by any other process or apparatus known to me. Preparatory to closing down or stopping the evaporating process, the supply of cane-juice being exhausted or cut off, Water is admitted through feed-pipe 10 and the boil in g continued until all syrup has been cleaned up or forced out by Water. I

It should be noted that the furnace or fire% box is arranged in advance of or outside of the zone of the pan. By reason of this arrangement there is no overheating or burn ing at one point of the pan, but a substantially constant and even temperature is maintained under the entire surface of the pan. It should also be noted that my pan having partitions separating the pan into divisions having passages, so that each division communicates with all the others, constitutes a vessel or pan with a single compartment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An evaporating-pan having a plurality of transverse partitions of successively-increasing height, said partitions having passages of successively-increasing capacity alternately through opposite ends thereof, substantially as described.

2. In an evaporating apparatus, the combination of a pan having a series of partitions of constantly increasing height, and a screen arranged above the first division and above the mouth of the feed-pipe leading to said division for carrying off scum to waste, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAWSON T. BRAND.

Witnesses:

J. 0. ROGERS, J. C. RAWLINs. 

